How do you drive a pick-up through a three-foot alleyway? When a honda civic can't get through it? If leon washington couldn't get throught the six-inch holes, a "normal" RB wouldn't either. What do you do then? You get a wrecking ball to smash open a hole, and drive the civic through. In other words, it's on the OL. Did anyone see Brian Westbrook today? Is he a "real-type RB" everyone is craving, whereas Leon isn't? No he's not. {westbrook-washington} Does anyone remember John Runyan? The mauling RT that came in for a FA visit last year, whom we offered a contract? Runyan went back to Philly, and he would have been our biggest, most impactful FA signing, hands down. But it wasn't meant to be. Get a John Runyan type football player on the OL, and your problem is solved. But why? If we had 5 guys like Runyan, or rather of Runyan's size, on the line would we be getting beaten up and down the field by the Patsies? And we did. We got a good ol fashioned butt-whooping - on both sides of the ball. Why, the reason is simple. Lets examine the Philadelphia Eagles line and compare it to ours, your beloved Jets. EAGLES: RT: John Runyan - 6'7" 330 lbs RG: Shawn Andrews - 6'4" 340 lbs C: Jamaal Jackson - 6'4" 330 lbs LG: Todd Herreman - 6'6" 321 lbs LT: William Thomas - 6'7" 335 lbs JETS: RT: Anthony Clement - 6'8" 320 lbs RG: Brandon Moore - 6'3" 295 lbs C: Nick Mangold - 6'4" 300 lbs LG: Pete Kendall - 6'5" 292 lbs LT: D'Brickashaw - 6'6" 312 lbs It should be plain and obvious that there is a massive disparity in size. The Eagles smallest lineman {Herreman 321} is larger than our largest {Clement 320}. The Eagles Gross Tonnage is 1656 lbs. to the Jets Gross Tonnage 1519 lbs. which may not seem so salient until you view the teams' average lineman. The Eagles Avg. Lineman's Weight is 331 and one-fifth lbs. and very consistent across the entire sample. The Jets Avg. Lineman's Weight is 303.8 lbs., but is heavily skewed by Clement's size {320}. In fact, upon closer analysis, the Jets have two lineman -- interior lineman, Kendall and Moore -- that are below the 300 lb watermark. And Mangold is right at that 300 lb. watermark. The interior of the lines are possessed of the sharpest distinctions: The Eagles interior - 340, 330, 321 - {991 Gross}, Avg 330 and one-third lbs. The Jets interior - 295, 300, 292 - (887 Gross}, well below the watermark, Avg 295 and two-thirds lbs. *********** The Team, Jets fans, need desperately to shore up our OL with some weight. This doesn't mean our guys aren't good. But as a composite, as a 5-point constellation, as a whole unit, the Jets don't pack the punch and are weak in girth at two key spots. As individuals, we have some talent, some, albeit long-in-tooth, which means that all the more so, do we need to address the issue promptly. Or we will continue to get punched in the mouth by bigger, tougher fighters like the Patriots... To all of you who think that a "Real" RB is going to make the difference, that the root of the disease is the RB we have, I believe you are sadly mistaken. If you think otherwise, riddle me this: How do you drive a pick-up through a three-foot alleyway? When a honda civic can't get through it? Wouldn't it be wiser to bring in the construction crew with a wrecking-ball to open that hole? If you've got no hole, you've just wasted, your time, your money, and your effort on a bigger back, who will be running, all the more so, into walls. Don't mistake a symptom for the actual disease.
I bet David Blaine could get that pickup through there but it would make him dizzy and he'd fake nausea a couple of times.
Encore, encore. The myth that a small RB can't be a feature guy is just that, a myth, and one that's been proven wrong. Look at Barber, look at Dunn, look at Westbrook. Leon can be one of those guys if he improves. The biggest factor for a halfback of that type isn't their speed, it's their vision. As long as you've got the holes, wherever they may be opened, a top back will find them. That's how Tiki has become an elite back, that's how Westbrook has ascended to the top of the NFL, and that's how Dunn has been a top performer for years now. Leon is a tremendous talent. He's got great shiftiness, awesome acceleration, and breakaway speed. As long as his field vision improves and offensive line becomes more of a weapon, he can carry the load for the Jets.
Brick and Mangold aren't the problems -- b/c I presume they'll be coming in next year bigger and stronger. But the two got their asses handed to em by Seymour and Wilfork today. Penny had no pocket, and LW had no holes. The real weight problem is at G.
I agree but we need a FB wrecking hole ball like Lorenzo Neal (not saying we need him but someone like him), he is small in height but yet big in size weight to get his job done at 5' 11'' 255 pounds
Much more goes into the equation than the weight of the linemen. Exhibit A- the Denver Broncos offensive line.
We also don't have a teacher of the cut block, or zone blocking like Shanahan. Thus we really can't use an effective zone blocking scheme, when our coordinator has been around man to man his whole life.
Riddle me this then: Why do the teams with the smallest OLs tend to be better? The Steelers tend to have small lines - and they can run the ball. The Broncos have small O-Lines. They run the ball. Its not just bulk.
they zone-block exclusively. and I'm not saying weight is the only factor. BUt it is a massive problem.
The Steelers have the best OG in the NFL Alan Faneca. And a top tier center in Hartings. They compensate for their lack of bulk with technical mastery and the like. But the Steelers are no sleights for weight as well: Starks RT: 337 Simmons: 315 Jeff Hartings: 295 Alan Faneca: 307 Marvel Smith LT: 321
you lost me, you see, because I am highlighting one factor that has plagued this line, and in particular, versus teams like the Patriots. Generally, one on one, the Jets OL gets beaten up, and pushed back. Today, that was the plague. Penny had no time to throw, he hat dudes in his face all day, tipped passes {the Wilfork play, tipped), and LW had little space. This is because of the above stated reasons, IMO.
The difference is nobody drafted those guys to be the "man" they were all backups, who got a chance and did something with it. I think its crazy for us to go into next season, thinking leon washington is that guy. I like him dont get me wrong, but I want somebody who can break an arm tackle from a defensive lineman. Run over a 195 lb db. Michael Turner, Kenny irons, clinton portis.
I was responding to the summation of your post: It's not simply weight. They need a better right guard and they need to find an eventual successor to Pete Kendall. They can put a 340 pounder at RG and if he sucks, the Jets offense may not improve. True, you'd rather have a good 330 pounder at guard as opposed to a good 290 pounder at guard. However, a good 290 something pounder at guard is better than a mediocre 335 pounder at guard. That's the point. I replied to a similar post last night when mr. nyjet suggested that the Jets must get a QB with a stronger arm. I replied that Jeff George is available. You see what I'm sayin' now?
Anyone catch a glimpse of D'Brickashaw Ferguson recently? It looks like he has lost alot of weigth since the draft. They have him listed at 312, but he looks like he weighs 280... I know weight isn't everything, but I think D'Brick struggled late in the season because he lost so much weight.
absolutely I see now. I'm going a step further. I don't want a "good" or even "great" RG or replacement for Kendall if they're not guys that are going to be able to push around Vince Fatfork. I want guys that will punch the other guy in the mouth all game, and hurt him. Finesse won't cut it, even if you're good. NE's power will beat our finesse. Even if both are good.
